Gender Policy[Document subtitle]

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1.1.

POLICY STATEMENT

To fulfil its mission and vision, Water Valley Denmark (WVDK) is committed to advancing gender equity
within the organisation and in all its programmes.
The organisation recognises that in our societies, biased stereotypes and social norms prevent womenand men from exercising their free choice and from taking full and equal advantage of opportunities forindividual development, contribution and reward. The organisation is dedicated to enhancing gender
equity within the institution through the management of human resources and the organisational culture,and within the communities served through programmes and projects.

1.2.

PURPOSE AND PRINCIPLES

The purpose of this policy is to support staff in their efforts to advance gender equity.

This policy is guided by the core values of the organisation in relation to gender equity, in particular theUN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979). The following
principles will form the basis of the organisation’s efforts in the area of gender empowerment:•All people, by virtue of their shared humanity, carry inherently equal dignity and rights. The organisation
therefore always strives to affirm and uphold equal rights and opportunities of women and men.

•Each person, by virtue of his or her particular character and context, has a unique identity andcombination of aspirations and abilities. Therefore, the organisation must therefore strive tounderstand how the particular conditions of each individual or social group shapes his/her ability toachieve equal fulfilment, and to create tailored opportunities for each to thrive.

1.3.

DEFINITIONS“Gender” refers to the social attributes and opportunities associated with being male and female andthe relationships among and between women, men, girls and boys. These attributes, opportunities andrelationships are socially constructed and are learned through socialisation processes. They arecontext- and time-specific and changeable. Gender determines what is expected, allowed and valued
in a women or a man in a given context. In most societies, there are differences and inequalities between
women and men in responsibilities assigned, activities undertaken, access to and control over resources,
as well as decision-making opportunities. Gender is part of the broader socio-cultural2

context. Other important criteria for socio-cultural analysis include class, race, poverty level, ethnic
group and age.
“Gender equality” refers to equal rights, responsibilities and opportunities of women, men, girls andboys. Equality does not mean that women and men will become the same but that rights, responsibilities
and opportunities of women and men will not depend on whether they are born male or female. Genderequality implies that the interests, needs and priorities of both women and men are taken into
consideration in recognition of the diversity of different populations of women and men. Gender equality
is not a “women’s issue” but should concern and fully engage men as well as women. Equality between
women and men are seen both as a human rights issue and as a precondition for, and indicator of,sustainable people-centred development.
“Gender equity” means fairness of treatment for women and men, according to their respective needs.
This may include equal treatment or treatment that is different but which is considered equivalent interms of rights, benefits, obligations and opportunities. In the development context, a gender equity goal
often requires built-in measures to compensate for the historical and social disadvantages of women.
“Gender mainstreaming” is the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any
planned action including legislation, policies or programmes, in any area and at all levels. It is a strategy
for making the concerns and strategies of women and men an integral part of the design,
implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic andsocietal spheres, so that women and men can benefit equally, and inequality is not perpetuated. The
ultimate goal of gender mainstreaming is to achieve gender equality.

1.4.

WVDK’s TWO-FOLD APPROACH TO GENDER EQUITY

The organisation’s Gender Policy follows a two-fold approach, operational and organisational:

Operational
Organisational• Mainstreaming gender across all offices/departments,programmes and projects• Creating and maintaining a gender-sensitive work
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OPERATIONAL: Gender mainstreaming across all offices, programmes, and projects
to ensure that:A. The organisation shall systematically use gender analyses to design and implement department andoffice strategies, programmes and projects that maximise impact on gender equity;
B. When designing programme and project activities, the organisation shall target appropriate
participants and strive to maintain balance of gender roles and responsibilities with a commitment tosimultaneously advancing long-term strategic gender interests;

C. The organisation shall monitor and evaluate all programmes and projects that measure the relative
impact on men, women, boys and girls.

ORGANISATIONAL: Creating and maintaining a gender-sensitive work environment toensure that:a) An equitable balance exists at all levels of the organisation;b) All employment decisions related to recruitments, transfers, compensation and promotion are madewithout gender discrimination;c) The organisation’s benefits policy is equitable and responsive to the need to balance work, family,
civic life and the different gender roles of staff (e.g., responsibilities of pregnancy, childrearing andfamily care);d) An environment where non-discriminatory working relationships and respect for diversity in work andmanagement styles is encouraged.

1.5.

PLAN OF IMPLEMENTATIONThe organisation recognises that progress in gender equity is made at different rates and by different
means across its offices, programmes and projects. While we must respect the flexibility of thisprocess, the organisation holds all staff accountable for achieving measurable progress towardconditions in which women and men enjoy equal rights and opportunities. To achieve this goal, theorganisation shall endeavour to implement this policy following both operational and organisational
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Implementation of operational goals
The organisation shall incorporate gender equity into all operations through the application of genderawareness and analysis to the project circle, including design, implementation, monitoring andevaluation by:

1. Incorporating gender questions and perspectives into project design documents, guidelines, andmonitoring and evaluation tools;
2. Analysing the roles, responsibilities, cultural constraints, stereotypes and relationships between men
and women in programmes;
3. Examining the structures beyond the community that affect women and men’s access to and controlof resources, and power of decision-making, and how these structures might be influenced by theprogramme;
4. Developing the gender analysis tools and skills necessary to support project participants not only inorder to meet immediate practical needs, but also to explore and advance strategic interests that may
challenge socially defined roles which limit development potential;
5. Ensuring that technology, training and information are appropriate and accessible to both womenand men;
6. Increasing the level of staff awareness through training on gender issues, gender sensitivity andanalysis;
7. Building gender awareness as a criteria in partnership strategies and by supporting partners indeveloping and applying gender equity;
8. Continuing to expand the organisation’s knowledge about and commitment to gender issues throughresearch, documentation and sharing of lessons learned.

Implementation of organisational goals
The organisation shall implement activities that foster a work environment that supports and rewards
the full contribution and productivity of both women and men. The activities include, but are not limitedto:

1. Conducting gender analysis to identify and address barriers to equal representation in staffing
patterns. Once data are analysed, specific goals shall be set to address staffing imbalances andmodifying personnel and benefits policies if necessary;
2. Ensuring that career development opportunities are afforded to both women and men. This may
include such activities as formal mentoring and coaching;
3. Ensuring that sufficient effort is made, where appropriate, that candidates of both genders are given
equal consideration for available positions;

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4. Developing and/or reviewing existing policies, procedures and systems to ensure that they support agender-sensitive and family-friendly work environment;
5. Developing core competencies that address core values and gender awareness and equity. These
competencies should be integrated into performance management systems and all management
development models.

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